1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to monitoring an integrated circuit (IC) chip.
2. Related Art
Circuits constructed on an IC chip or substrate are referred to as integrated circuits. Integrated circuits include transistors and resistors, for example. Integrated circuits are fabricated or manufactured in high volume using integrated circuit processes, such as a CMOS process. The integrated circuits may be characterized in terms of various circuit parameters, such as sheet-rho, transistor threshold voltage, and a transistor transconductance parameter, to name but a few.
Process variations can cause unpredictable and undesired variations of the circuit parameters, which can adversely affect circuit performance. In other words, the circuit parameters tend to be process dependent. Thus, it is useful for a manufacturer to be able to quantify or determine the circuit parameters. Accordingly, there is a need to be able to measure and determine process-dependent circuit parameters associated with circuits constructed on an IC chip. A related need is to be able to determine a temperature of the IC chip and/or a power supply voltage of the IC chip.